Dr Guoquan Liu
Research Officer
Centre for Crop Science (QAAFI)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science
Research Fellow
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
+61 7 336 52504
+61 7 336 52504
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Master of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University
Researcher biography
Dr. Guoquan Liu has more than ten years experience in sorghum tissue culture and genetic transformation. He developed a highly efficient sorghum particle transformation system in 2012. Since then, hundreds of transgenic plants have been regenerated from tens of constructs that are invoved in plant disease resistant genes (e.g. Lr34), report gene (gfp), specific-promoters (e.g. alpha- beta- kafirin, A2, LSG), G proteins etc.. He has trained many students how to transform sorghum including honor students, master students, and PhD students.
He has focused on improving sorghum grain yield and grain quality through biotechnologies including genetic transformation, genome-editing, synthetic biology, and plant apomixis.
Book Chapters
Liu, Guoquan, Massel, Karen, Tabet, Basam and Godwin, Ian D. (2020). Biolistic DNA delivery and its applications in Sorghum bicolor. Biolistic DNA delivery in plants: methods and protocols. (pp. 197-215) New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0356-7_10
Liu, Guoquan, Li, Jieqing and Godwin, Ian D. (2019). Genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9 in sorghum through biolistic bombardment. Methods in molecular biology. (pp. 169-183) New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9039-9_12
Liu, Guoquan, Campbell, Bradley C. and Godwin, Ian D. (2014). Sorghum genetic transformation by particle bombardment. In Robert J. Henry and Agnelo Furtado (Ed.), Cereal genomics: methods and protocols (pp. 219-234) New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi:10.1007/978-1-62703-715-0-18
Liu, Guoquan, Gilding, Edward and Godwin, Ian D. (2014). Genetic Transformation and Breeding. Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Sorghum. (pp. 251-283) edited by Yi-Hong Wang and Chittaranjan Kole. Boca Raton: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/b17153
Journal Articles
Cheng, Ming, Trusov, Yuri, Liu, Guoquan, Mao, Yanfei and Botella, Jose Ramon (2025). Establishing embryogenic tissue culture workflow for pineapple cultivar 73–50. Genes, 16 (5) 549, 1-12. doi: 10.3390/genes16050549
Wu, Songguo, Huang, Xiaojin, Fu, Chunli, Wan, Xincheng, Huang, Ke, Shad, Munsif Ali, Hu, Lihua, Chen, Lingling, Liu, Guoquan and Wang, Lingqiang (2025). Identification of the regulatory role of SsMYBS25-4 in salt stress from MYB-related transcription factors in sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum). International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 303 140566, 140566-303. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140566
Zhang, Yan, Cheng, Ming, Massel, Karen, Godwin, Ian D. and Liu, Guoquan (2025). An accelerated transgene-free genome editing system using microparticle bombardment of sorghum immature embryos. aBIOTECH, 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s42994-025-00204-9
Yong, Jiaxi, Xu, Wang, Wu, Miaomiao, Zhang, Run, Mann, Christopher W. G., Liu, Guoquan, Brosnan, Christopher A., Mitter, Neena, Carroll, Bernard J. and Xu, Zhi Ping (2025). Lysozyme-coated nanoparticles for active uptake and delivery of synthetic RNA and plasmid-encoded genes in plants. Nature Plants, 11 (1) e2106945, 131-144. doi: 10.1038/s41477-024-01882-x
Macelline, Shemil P., Godwin, Ian D., Liu, Guoquan, Restall, Jemma, Cantor, David I., McInerney, Bernard V., Toghyani, Mehdi, Chrystal, Peter V., Selle, Peter H. and Liu, Sonia Yun (2024). Transgenic, high-protein sorghums display promise in poultry diets in an initial comparison. Poultry Science, 103 (6) 103698, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103698
Lui, Andy C. W., Pow, Kah Chee, Lin, Nan, Lam, Lydia Pui Ying, Liu, Guoquan, Godwin, Ian D., Fan, Zhuming, Khoo, Chen Jing, Tobimatsu, Yuki, Wang, Lanxiang, Hao, Quan and Lo, Clive (2023). Regioselective stilbene O-methylations in Saccharinae grasses. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 3462, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38908-5
Borrell, Andrew K., Wong, Albert C. S., George-Jaeggli, Barbara, van Oosterom, Erik J., Mace, Emma S., Godwin, Ian D., Liu, Guoquan, Mullet, John E., Klein, Patricia E., Hammer, Graeme L., McLean, Greg, Hunt, Colleen and Jordan, David R. (2022). Genetic modification of PIN genes induces causal mechanisms of stay-green drought adaptation phenotype. Journal of Experimental Botany, 73 (19), 6711-6726. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac336
Wang, Lihua, Gao, Li, Liu, Guoquan, Meng, Ruirui, Liu, Yanlong and Li, Jieqin (2021). An efficient sorghum transformation system using embryogenic calli derived from mature seeds. PeerJ, 9 e11849, e11849. doi: 10.7717/peerj.11849
Tao, Yongfu, Trusov, Yuri, Zhao, Xianrong, Wang, Xuemin, Cruickshank, Alan W., Hunt, Colleen, van Oosterom, Erik J., Hathorn, Adrian, Liu, Guoquan, Ian, Godwin D., Botella, Jose R., Mace, Emma S. and Jordan, David R. (2021). Manipulating assimilate availability provides insight into the genes controlling grain size in sorghum. The Plant Journal, 108 (1) tpj.15437, 1-13. doi: 10.1111/tpj.15437
Zhang, Yan, Restall, Jemma, Crisp, Peter, Godwin, Ian and Liu, Guoquan (2021). Current status and prospects of plant genome editing in Australia. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant, 57 (4), 1-10. doi: 10.1007/s11627-021-10188-y
Liu, Guoquan, Zhang, Yan, Gong, Hao, Li, Shan, Pan, Yunrong, Davis, Christopher, Jing, Hai-Chun, Wu, Luguang and Godwin, Ian D. (2021). Stem vacuole-targetted sucrose isomerase enhances sugar content in sorghum. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 14 (1) 53, 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s13068-021-01907-z
Wang, Lanxiang, Lui, Andy C W, Lam, Pui Ying, Liu, Guoquan, Godwin, Ian D and Lo, Clive (2020). Transgenic expression of flavanone 3‐hydroxylase redirects flavonoid biosynthesis and alleviates anthracnose susceptibility in sorghum. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 18 (11) pbi.13397, 2170-2172. doi: 10.1111/pbi.13397
Liu, Guoquan, Gilding, Edward K., Kerr, Edward D., Schulz, Benjamin L., Tabet, Basam, Hamaker, Bruce R. and Godwin, Ian D. (2019). Increasing protein content and digestibility in sorghum grain with a synthetic biology approach. Journal of Cereal Science, 85, 27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jcs.2018.11.001
Peng, Cheng, Wang, Hua, Xu, Xiaoli, Wang, Xiaofu, Chen, Xiaoyun, Wei, Wei, Lai, Yongmin, Liu, Guoquan, Godwin, Ian Douglas, Li, Jieqin, Zhang, Ling and Xu, Junfeng (2018). High-throughput detection and screening of plants modified by gene editing using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The Plant Journal, 95 (3), 557-567. doi: 10.1111/tpj.13961
Vanhercke, Thomas, Belide, Srinivas, Taylor, Matthew C, El Tahchy, Anna, Okada, Shoko, Rolland, Vivien, Liu, Qing, Mitchell, Madeline, Shrestha, Pushkar, Venables, Ingrid, Ma, Lina, Blundell, Cheryl, Mathew, Anu, Ziolkowski, Lisa, Niesner, Nathalie, Hussain, Dawar, Dong, Bei, Liu, Guoquan, Godwin, Ian D, Lee, Jiwon, Rug, Melanie, Zhou, Xue-Rong, Singh, Surinder P and Petrie, James R (2018). Up-regulation of lipid biosynthesis pathway increases the oil content in leaves of Sorghum bicolor. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 17 (1), 220-232. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12959
Schnippenkoetter, Wendelin, Lo, Clive, Liu, Guoquan, Dibley, Katherine, Chan, Wai Lung, White, Jodie, Milne, Ricky, Zwart, Alexander, Kwong, Eunjung, Keller, Beat, Godwin, Ian, Krattinger, Simon G. and Lagudah, Evans (2017). The wheat Lr34 multipathogen resistance gene confers resistance to anthracnose and rust in sorghum. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 15 (11), 1387-1396. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12723
Lamont, Kyle C., Mudge, Stephen R., Liu, Guoquan and Godwin, Ian D. (2017). Expression patterns of the native shrunken-2 promoter in sorghum bicolor visualised through use of the GFP reporter gene. Plant Cell Reports, 36 (11), 1689-1700. doi: 10.1007/s00299-017-2182-4
Liu, Guoquan, Lamont, Kyle C., Ahmad, Norazlina, Tomkins, Alison, Mudge, Stephen R., Gilding, Edward K. and Godwin, Ian D. (2017). The functionality of α-kafirin promoter and α-kafirin signal peptide. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 128 (1), 133-143. doi: 10.1007/s11240-016-1093-3
Li, Cheng, Liu, Guoquan, Liu, Qiaoquan, Godwin, Ian D and Gilbert, Robert G (2015). Characterization of the time evolution of starch structure from rice callus. Carbohydrate Polymers, 127, 116-123. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.03.046
Liu, Guoquan, Gilding, Edward K and Godwin, Ian D (2015). A robust tissue culture system for sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. South African Journal of Botany, 98, 157-160. doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.179
Liu, Guoquan, Gilding, Edward K. and Godwin, Ian D. (2013). Additive effects of three auxins and copper on sorghum in vitro root induction. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Plant, 49 (2), 191-197. doi: 10.1007/s11627-012-9488-2
Liu, Guoquan and Godwin, Ian D. (2012). Highly efficient sorghum transformation. Plant Cell Reports, 31 (6), 999-1007. doi: 10.1007/s00299-011-1218-4
Conference Papers
Carroll, B. J., Yong, J., Xu, W., Wu, M., Zhang, R., Mann, C. W. G., Liu, G., Mitter, N. and Xu, Z. P. (2023). Nanoclay particles for active uptake and systemic delivery of genes into intact plants. 2023 In Vitro Biology Meeting, Norfolk, VA United States, 10-14 June 2023. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer.
Borrell, Andrew, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, Oosterom, Erik van, Hammer, Graeme, Mace, Emma, Godwin, Ian, Liu, Guoquan, Wong, Albert, Matiwos, Temesgen, Bantte, Kassahun, Christopher, Jack, Hickey, Lee, Richard, Cecile, Robinson, Hannah and Jordan, David (2020). How do crops balance water supply and demand when water is limiting?. The Third International Tropical Agriculture Conference TropAg 2019 , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11–13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036208
Mcmillan, Hayley E., Liu, Guoquan, Shelton, H. Max, Dalzell, Scott A., Godwin, Ian D., Gamage, Harshi, Sharman, Cleo and Lambrides, Christopher J. (2019). Sterile leucaena becomes a reality?. International Leucaena Conference (ILC), Brisbane, Australia, 29 October-3 November 2018. Cali, Colombia: Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT). doi: 10.17138/TGFT(7)74-79
Borrell, Andrew, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, van Oosterom, Erik, Hammer, Graeme, Mace, Emma, Godwin, Ian, Liu, G., Wong, Albert, Temesgen, M., Kassahun, B., Christopher, Jack, Hickey, Lee, Richard, Cecile, Robinson, Hannah and Jordan, David (2019). Canopy and root plasticity for drought adaptation in cereals. Climate Change Linked Stress Tolerance in Plants (M4) (Keystone Symposia), Herrenhausen Palace, Hannover, Germany, 13-16 May 2019.
Borrell, Andrew, George-Jaeggli, Barbara, van Oosterom, Erik, Hammer, Graeme, Godwin, Ian, Liu, G., Wong, Albert, Hunt, Colleen and Jordan, David (2019). Drought adaptation in sorghum: scaling-up from gene to farmer's field. Australian Summer Grains Conference, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 8-10 July 2019.
Thesis
Liu, Guoquan (2016). Manipulating seed storage proteins to enhance sorghum digestibility. PhD Thesis, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2016.497